


Duels of Future Past

by CatlynGunn



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Actually that could mean anything haha, Because I can, Bickering, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Dub names, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Friends to Lovers, How do I technology?, I'll add more tags as I need to, I'll be honest i'm picking and choosing my canon here, Idiots in Love, Kidnapping, M/M, Mutual Pining, OC Kids - Freeform, Peachshipping, Post-Series, Rivals to Lovers, Time Travel, Violetshipping, adult characters, joey is not a smart boy, joey's brooklyn accent is cute fight me, kaiba is equally stupid but in different ways, puppyshipping - Freeform, sort of ?, wouldn't be a Catlyn Gunn fic without kidnapping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-05-15 12:04:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19295368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatlynGunn/pseuds/CatlynGunn
Summary: Joey just wanted a normal visit with his sister. But then two mysterious kids show and trouble right along with them. Who are these kids, and why do all these people seem to want them dead?





	Duels of Future Past

It was raining again.

It seemed to always be raining, these days. Or maybe that was just the feeling the world had now. Cold. Gray. Lonely…

Insecure…

A tall girl with blonde hair stared out the window at the rain. It looked like at any moment it might start storming. Her amber eyes scanned the area. Security was the tightest it had ever been. They’d moved fourteen different times. But she knew it didn’t matter. At any moment they would come for them. For her and her brother.

Which was why they had to work fast.

“Katsumi?” A young boy said as he walked into the room. His big, gray eyes looked up at the girl with worry. It hadn’t been that long ago they’d found themselves on their own, on the run, doing everything they could to keep them safe and sound, to keep the deepest secrets of their father's company out of the wrong hands.

“Are you ready to go, Masato?” Katsumi asked her younger brother, her eyes warming up significantly as she looked at him. He was the only one ever allowed to see her softer side. No one else could be allowed such a luxury. Not even the few friends they had left.

“Do we really have to do this?” Masato asked, fiddling with hem of his sweater out of anxiety. “Is there really no other way?”

Oh, there were other ways. Katsumi had gone through all of them. The number one way that could probably get those assholes off their tail once and for all had been thrown out a window and never considered. She was not given them this flash drive. She was not giving them that power. She would die first.

Of course that would complicate things, wouldn’t it? She’d have to find a safe place for Masato, of course. The information would be destroyed, she’d made sure to implement a device to make sure of that, but she knew all too well what kind of people they were dealing with. They wouldn’t get the technology they wanted, and they wouldn’t touch a single hair on her younger brother’s head.

“No. I’m sorry, bud,” Katsumi told him sincerely. “This is how it has to be.” She smiled. “But just think. Once we fix all of this, we’ll have Dad and Papa back! We won’t have to worry about those people hurting us or our family ever again.” She put one hand on his shoulder comfortingly, her eyes glancing at her thing on her wrist. Time travel was risky. They could very easily make things worse than what they were now. But ever since she’d found her father’s notes, she knew she couldn’t leave it alone. They had to try. If she could stop the demo before it happened. If she could warn her parents…

Well, if she assumed correctly, based on her parents’ stories, then they wouldn’t quite be their parents yet. Probably not even together...

That would be the year, wouldn’t it? The year everything began…

“We’re gonna get through this, Masato. I promise,” she told him, removing her hand so she could set the date that they needed to go back to. “Ready?”

Masato nodded, putting on a brave smile as he put a hand on his sister’s arm. “Ready.”

Katsumi nodded, taking a deep breath as her features settled into a determined frown. She’d been told so much how she favored her Papa throughout life - big, amber eyes, long, wild blonde hair. But this expression was all her Dad, ready to kick some ass and set things to how they should be.

With just a press of button they were both gone, heading for a time long before their lives had fallen into the horrible chaos they’d been struggling to survive.

_I will fix this. I swear it, Dad. Papa._

_I promise._

 

00000000

 

“Gah! Why didn’t my alarm wake me up!” Joey Wheeler shouted as he rushed to get dressed. He had just enough time to get some clothes and maybe attempt to do something with his hair. Eh, what was the point? It would just be unmanageable floof once again three minutes later. He growled in frustration as he pulled on his pants, stumbling to the front door of his apartment where he threw his shoes on. In a quick swoop he grabbed his backpack and was out the door.

Professional dueling had actually turned out rather well for Joey. He’d won quite few tournaments, including one pretty big one that really pushed him to top. The dueling, of course, wasn’t the problem. The problem now was getting to meet and greets and commercials and photo shoots and even the occasional YouTube collaboration. Not to mention how every now and then someone would recognize him when he was just hanging with his friends. At first it was cool, the attention and acknowledgement was everything he dreamed, but after a while it lost its appeal, especially when all he wanted to do was chill out with his best friends without being bothered.

However, today would be different. Serenity was coming to visit, and he was not going to let anything get in the way of making sure his sister had a great time. They’d go to mall, maybe the amusement park. After this one photo shoot the rest of his week would be completely clear. Well, except for the huge tournament Kaiba just had to have to display his latest dueling technology.

Joey frowned as he raced down stairs of his apartment building, not bothering to take the elevator. He could only explain his interaction with Kaiba lately as...complicated. They could definitely find themselves at odds with each other - mostly starting with the bastard teasing him about...whatever he felt like teasing him about that day. But there wasn’t much of the old hostility there. Maybe it was because they found themselves working with each other so frequently these days. Or maybe it was because they were just older and ready to let bygones be bygones. Or maybe Kaiba finally acknowledged that Joey was a competent duelist now that Joey had made a name for himself. Joey scoffed at that thought. Yeah. That would be the day.

The blonde sighed in frustration, running a hand in his hair. He’d hoped through the years his stupid feeling for the CEO would diminish into the cosmos never to be seen or heard from ever again. But no. He’d thought for a while they were gone, during the time he had to work two jobs to afford cards and Duel Disks, and practically force his way into the bigger tournaments. But then as his star began to rise, and he found himself frequently running into Kaiba - events, galas, public appearances. All including some form of bickering that was hardly serious.

And Joey found that spark light anew.

Which was...very annoying and unfortunate.

Because, of course, it was useless, right? Forget whether or not Kaiba was attracted to other men, the thought of the brunet wanting anyone like him was downright ridiculous. Famous pro duelist or not, he was still just Joey Wheeler, the loud street mutt who never back down from a fight, who never knew when to quit. And compared to Seto Kaiba? Pft! Forget it. Like the rich boy would want a hot mess like him on his arm.

Joey broke from his reverie as he finally hit the finally landing and ran to his car. He froze when he heard the noise of someone shouting. He looked up, seeing a kid about to run into the street. The shouting was coming from an older girl calling the boy’s name. Joey then could see the speeding car coming. The world seem to slow down as, with little to no hesitation, he jumped into action, racing over and grabbing the kid by the back of his jacket and jerking him backwards onto the sidewalk. The force was probably a bit much as he pulled the kid to himself, almost stumbling backwards.The car honked as it sped by.

“Whatchu honkin’ at us for?!” Joey yelled after them. “Slow down, ya dumbass!”

He let out another growl before looking down and checking on the kid. “Hey, you okay? Ya know, you really gotta watch where ya goin’-” He froze, taken aback by the boy’s appearance. He had short brown hair and big, gray eyes. It gave Joey pause and he had to do a double take. Was it just him or did this kid look like Kaiba?

“Oh my god, it’s you!” the boy said, beaming up at him.

That was enough for Joey to snap out of it. “Eh, whaddya mean? Gah!” And now the kid was hugging him. What was happening right now?

“Excuse my brother,” the girl finally spoke, pulling the boy away from clinging to Joey’s torso. “He is...a very big fan.”

The girl’s appearance gave him a little bit of pause as well. Honey blonde hair. Amber eyes. However any analysis about who she reminded him of was thrown out the window at seeing the appearance of her eyes. She looked...tired. Far more tired than anyone her age should be.

“Um...yeah…” the boy said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. His smile returned quickly. “Thanks for saving me! I could of been road kill if you didn’t!”

Joey couldn’t help but stare, his eyes going back and forth between the kids. He shook his head. He was overthinking things. They were just random kids. “Yeah. Ya gotta pay attention around here, okay, kid? You’re gonna get yourself hurt.”

“Took the words right out of my mouth,” the girl said, tugging on the sleeve of the boy’s shirt. “Come on, Masato. We need to get going.”

“Wait! Maybe he can help us!” Masato looked back up with a big smile. “Do you know of a place where we can stay?”

“Masato-,” the girl said in a warning tone.

“We’ve tried a few places but everyone is saying no-,”

“Masato, we can’t-,”

“This isn’t gonna mess anything up, Katsumi!”

Joey blinked. What the hell was going on today? He sighed roughly. “Where are ya parents?”

Masato’s face fell. “Um...well…” he mumbled, shifting his feet.

“We’re on our own,” Katsumi said, tugging on Masato’s sleeve again. “And we’re _fine.”_

Joey rose a brow. Something about these kids was tugging at him. He didn’t know what or why. Maybe because he’d been there for a while, running out on the streets, mostly in an attempt to get away from his father. But he knew what it was like to have to basically take care of himself. He looked up at Katsumi. “How old are ya, kid?”

Katsumi looked absolutely offended by that question. “I don’t believe that is any of your business,” she told him.

Joey frowned. “I’m askin’ because if ya under eighteen ya ain’t gettin’ inta anywhere. I know. I’ve tried. Ya sure ya don’t have anyone you can stay with or somethin’?”

Katsumi continued to look annoyed. Which, in turn, made Joey annoyed. Why was he even bothering, again? Oh yeah. Because he was nothing but a giant softy. Especially with kids.

“We are fine, I assure you. We will find accommodations on our own. But your concern is appreciated.” She looked down at Masato severely. “Now we have to go. Come on.”

Masato nodded, looking extremely sad to have to go. Something twisted in Joey’s gut. He wasn’t sure what compelled him to do it, but he was pretty sure he was going to regret this. “You got a phone on ya?”

Masato’s expression immediately lit up. “I sure do!” He pulled out a shiny, thin cell phone. It looked new, and extremely advance. Joey’s brow furrowed, and he couldn’t help but wonder if these kids were actually loaded. Maybe they would be okay, after all. Maybe. But just in case, he recited his number for the kid to type into his phone.

“Masato…” Katsumi growled. She sounded frustrated, but Joey didn’t miss the way her eyes darted around. He knew that look. The look of making sure you were ready to run at any second. He certainly didn’t miss those days, and her didn’t wish them on anyone.

He spared her a lingering glance before smiling at Masato and ruffling his hair. Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything, capiche?”

Masato nodded enthusiastically. “You got it P-,” he seemed to stumble with his words for a moment, which made Joey a little confused. His name couldn’t be that difficult. “Thanks, Mr. Wheeler!”

“Eh. Call me Joey, kid,” he said sincerely.

“Masato, we _really_ have to _go,”_ Katsumi said, her tone urging her brother to hurry up.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Masato called, before running over to catch up with his sister.

It didn’t sit right with Joey to just let them go, but he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t really know them. He’d just met them after all. But there was just something that was...drawing him to them. He couldn’t explain it.

And once he glanced at the time on his phone, he realized he didn’t have the time.

“Ah, crap! Akane is gonna kill me!” He screamed, dashing over to his car so he could make the drive to the studio.

 

00000000000

 

Akane was Joey’s agent. She was a very short woman with a fiery temper and who had long since gotten tired of the blond’s excuses. “Fifteen minutes, Joey! Fifteen minutes!”

“Gah! Look, I know! I just got a little side-tracked, okay?” He said, trying to sit still while the stylist attempted to smooth out his hair. He wasn’t sure why they ever bothered. His hair was a wild mess and it would never be tamed no matter what anyone tried.

“Look, I know you’re sister’s coming to town, but you can’t just slack off and be late to everything, you know,” Akane told him, smoothing out his outfit. Joey had to admit, the stylists they worked with really knew what they were doing. He almost wished he would take them shopping with him, seeing as he couldn’t put an outfit together on his own to save his life.

“I wasn’t late to everything. Just...today…”

“And the commercial shooting last week.”

“Aw, come on, they weren’t even mad.”

“The autograph signing the week before.”

“I told you, my friend Tristan needed help rounding up his dog!”

“You know, one day your need to constantly help people is going to get you into trouble.”

“Too late!” Joey replied brightly. It was true, but that wasn’t entirely his fault. He and his friends were just...very cursed, it seemed.

Akane gave a long-suffering. “You’re lucky you're pretty. And in high demand. I don’t know why half the sponsors put up with you.”

“Because I have you to talk to them when things go awry?”

“And don’t you forget it,” she told him, her hands flying to her hips. “Alright, you should be set. Now, let’s go!”

Joey squawked at being pushed out onto the set, but he immediately recovered and straightened up. He typically liked shooting commercials better than doing these ad campaigns. Yeah, he looked good in the clothes and in the pictures, and he saw a pretty percentage thanks to the sales, but it all just looked very...disingenuous…

“Mess up his hair.”

The crew suddenly all stopped, turning toward the back of the room. They all froze in what could only be explained as terror at seeing the voice's owner. Joey, however, just choked on his own spit like an idiot.

“Mr. Kaiba!” The shoot director stammered at seeing the CEO leaning against the back wall. “What...what are you doing here?!”

“Never mind that. I don’t know what you were thinking with making his hair look like that. He looks ridiculous. Mess it up again so he looks more like himself and less like some greaser,” Kaiba said, his blue eyes narrowed dangerously. Oh, Joey had learned that look all too well. That was the look that meant “do what I say or lose your job.” Joey wasn’t sure sure whether to appreciate that the CEO had them fix his hair to it’s previously wild state, or to be angry that Kaiba thought he was naturally unkempt.

But, oh, did that look _do things to him..._

Which, well, obviously meant he was gonna go with being a little grumpy about Kaiba’s interference. “Do you even employ any of these people, Kaiba?” he asked. If he were honest he was actually genuinely curious.

“You’d be surprised how many companies Kaiba Corp is affiliated with,” Kaiba replied smoothly, removing himself from the wall and walking forward toward the director. “That shirt doesn’t work either. He looks better in red.”

“Hey! I like this shirt!” Joey argued.

“You also suffer from a thing called poor taste,” Kaiba replied, the smallest smirk on his face. He turned back to the director. “Have him change his shirt. Also feel free to do something about about that loud mouth of his.”

“I’m gonna do something about your mouth, here, in a minute, rich boy!” Joey snarled.

He could hear Akane groaning something that sounded like “I don’t get paid enough for this.” Many of the staff who Joey had worked with before looked just as exasperated. The director was new, however, and gazed at Joey with something akin to horror. Joey shrugged it off. Many people just weren’t used to the fact that the blond was nowhere near afraid of the big, bad CEO.

Kaiba waved his hand dismissively. “Settle down and finish your shoot, Pup.” He let his gaze linger and bit, like he wanted to say something else. But then he simply went back to his place by the wall.

Joey huffed. He didn’t know when the change from “mutt” to “pup” began, but he wasn’t complaining. It sounded more...endearing and affectionate. However… “Don’t tell me what to do,” he told Kaiba petulantly.

Kaiba snorted and said nothing in return. Joey thought he might have seen something that looked like a real smile but, nah. Probably just a trick of the light.

The photo shoot seemed to run by quickly and slowly at the same time. Joey was certain he could feel Kaiba’s eye on him the entire time, which made things very distracting. However, they all managed to muddle through, and overall the director seemed pretty pleased with the content they’d gotten. As everyone began to clear out, Joey noticed that Kaiba was still there, and was very much staring at him. He rose a brow as he walked over, his backpack slung over one shoulder. “Ya gonna tell me why ya here?”

Kaiba rolled his eyes. “No ‘hello?’ No ‘How are you, Kaiba?’ Really, Wheeler where are your manners?”

Joey hummed. He wasn’t about to admit that that did make him feel a little guilty. Instead he just sighed. “Come on, spill. You obviously came for a reason. And I doubt it was to revamp my outfit for those pictures.”

“Oh, don’t complain. You looked ridiculous before and we both know it. You’re welcome.”

“Kaiba,” Joey insisted, becoming impatient.

“Fine, fine. Don’t get your tail in a twist,” Kaiba told him, folding his arms. He smirked a little at the growl his received in return. “I wanted to go over some things about the upcoming tournament with you. Are you free?”

Joey stared. “You mean right now?”

“Yes, Pup. I mean right now.”

Joey couldn’t help but shuffle a bit. It wasn’t that he had anything going on. It was just the idea that Kaiba was inviting him...well anywhere. “Yeah, I’m free.”

“Good. Even if you weren’t I would have asked you to reschedule.” He gestured for Joey to follow him out of the studio. “You like curry, right?”

“Uh, yeah, it’s my fave,” Joey answered. “Kaiba, my car is over there.”

“And it’ll be fine if you leave it here. I’ll drive you back to it when we’re done.”

Joey frowned but said nothing more to argue. Mostly because he couldn’t think of anything to argue with. He’d stopped trying to be just outright mean to get a rise out of Kaiba a while back, not necessarily enjoying when the CEO was genuinely upset. It seemed the sort of truce was mutual, considering Kaiba wasn’t anywhere near as cruel with his insults and teasing as he had been in the past.

They came to a deep blue Lamborghini, which Kaiba unlocked with his remote before gesturing for Joey to get inside. Joey didn’t miss the license plate, which read BEWD, and he snorted under his breath. Typical Kaiba.

“I hope you ain’t takin’ me to some pretentious, hoity-toity place,” Joey grumbled as he fastened his seat belt.

“Isn’t 'pretentious' kind of a big word for you?” Kaiba teased as he started the car.

“You shouldn’t make people angry when they’re so close to you, you know,” Joey warned.

“No, you see, I’m safe because I’m the one driving.” He flashed Joey a quick smile. “But, for your information, the place we’re going is neither pretentious nor hoity-toity, as you so eloquently put it.”

Joey folded his arm and leaned back in his seat. “Good.”

Kaiba glanced at him out of the corner of his eye as they made their way down the road to their destination. “You should work on your posture. You’re going to have back problems before you’re thirty-five.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Joey replied mockingly.

Kaiba shrugged. "Suit yourself.”

They said nothing else until they got to the restaurant. To Joey’s surprise, and relief, it was a little hole in the wall place he’d been meaning to try for  a while. He’d just never been able to find the time.

“This place okay?” Kaiba asked. Joey could swear there was a knowing gleam in the brunet’s eyes, but he ignored it. Then again, he wouldn’t put it past him to know something like that. Seemed like Kaiba always knew everything that needed to be known.

“Yeah. It’s, uh, great actually.” Great now his stomach was getting all fluttery.

Once they were seated and had ordered, there was a small bout of silence. Joey shuffled a bit, unsure if he should be saying something. Didn’t Kaiba want to talk to him about the tournament?

He was about to open his mouth to ask about that but then Kaiba spoke first. “So your sister’s coming in tomorrow?”

Joey blinked. “Uh, yeah. I gotta go pick her up at the train station around noon tomorrow. Wait, shouldn’t you know that since Mokuba is comin’ with us to get her?”

Kaiba shrugged. “He might have mentioned. I don’t pay attention to everything he says, you know.”

“Uh huh,” Joey grunted.

There was a bit of a silence once they got their food. It was even more delicious than Joey had expected, and he was suddenly very happy he’d come here with Kaiba.

“I take it the food is to your liking?” Kaiba asked, an amused sparkle in his eyes.

Joey narrowed his eyes. “Are ya makin’ fun of me?”

“No, of course not. I would never.”

“You’re about to get some of this thrown in your eye.”

“I doubt it. You would never waste perfectly good food.”

“...Touche. Ya bastard.”

Kaiba chuckled a little, and Joey had to ignore that strange twisty feeling in his stomach. He just had to be so damn good-looking, didn’t he? And what made it worst was these days he was just nice enough for Joey to forget when he was being an annoying prick.

“You know our siblings are dating, right?” Kaiba suddenly said, as if he was telling someone it was going to rain today.

Joey choked for a moment, sending him into a violent coughing fit. He could feel the spices of the food in his throat and nose. It was extremely unpleasant. “What,” Cough. “Did you say?” Cough, cough.

“Could you not die while we’re here? That would be highly inconvenient.”

Joey finally managed to regain composure. His throat still burned, but at least he was breathing again. He smirked. “To be fair, being inconvenient to you is just my purpose in life.”

Kaiba snorted. “Trust me, I know.” He leaned back in his seat. “You really didn’t know?”

“No!” Joey squawked. “And I’m gonna give your brother a piece of my mind!”

“Oh, calm down,” Kaiba told him. “You and I both know you like Mokuba. And, if anything, shouldn’t I be the one concerned? Your sister is three years older than him.”

“What are ya trying to say about my sister?!” Joey roared, gritting his teeth at Kaiba.

Kaiba rolled his eyes. “I’m not saying anything and you know it. You’re being dramatic. Mokuba just turned twenty-two. They’re both adults, now.”

“You gonna tell me that you don’t keep track of your little brother’s every move even now?”

“...Look. He still gets kidnapped, alright? Even since the growth spurt. I’m just doing my due diligence as his older brother.”

“Of course you are,” Joey teased. He wasn’t really angry about Mokuba and Serenity dating. It was weird to think about, of course, and he also he knew that meant he’d probably find himself running into Kaiba more often. The flutter in his chest and the twisting of his guts made him wonder whether or not that was a good or bad thing.

“So. Why were you late today?” Kaiba asked, looking genuinely curious.

“...Weren’t you bringing me here to talk about the tournament?” Joey asked back. Not that he wasn’t enjoying the conversation. He was just...confused as to why Kaiba was making small talk.

“Forgive me for wondering. Typically you’re not late without some sort of almost valid excuse. I say almost valid because most of the time it has something to do with you being too nice for your own good.”

“Well, we can’t all be soulless, like you, now, can we?”

“...That was mean. But I’m never late to anything so I’ll take it.”

“Someone’s gotta be mean to ya to balance out when your mean to everyone else,” Joey said with a grin.

“Tch. I am not mean to _everyone_.”

“Except you are. Did you see the look on that director’s face? He looked like you were gonna physically throw him out on the street.”

“I would have if he hadn’t agreed to change your shirt,” Kaiba replied. He acted like that was normal, just standard procedure.

“Why do you care what I wear, anyway?” Joey questioned.

“Wheeler. You looked _atrocious_ in that shirt.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Maybe if it had been light blue instead of dark.”

“You own the color blue now, or somethin’?”

“Yes. I own all the colors, actually.”

“...Was that a joke?”

“It’s been known to happen.” Kaiba said with a sigh. “You’re a pro duelist now. Which means you’re affiliated with me whether you like it or not. And I can’t have you looking like a _complete_ disaster, you know.”

“You’re really somethin’, you know that?” Joey grumbled. Did he agree he didn’t look his best in that shirt? Yes, he did. But he wasn’t about to let Kaiba know that.

“That might be the nicest thing you’ve said to me since we left the studio,” Kaiba stated. He looked down at Joey’s plate for a moment. “I’m guessing you would like dessert?”

Joey looked at his plate as well. When had he finished his food? Huh. He looked back up at the offer, unable to help the grin on his face. “You know me too well.”

The discussion about the tournament wasn’t as serious as Joey had been expecting. Kaiba was mostly letting him know what was expected of him and how he needed to make sure to get familiar with the new tech beforehand. Joey couldn’t help but bounce a little with excitement. Not only had the holograms been fully upgraded, but now the monster’s had fully responsive A.I’s, making them capable of dodging attacks should the player wish. It was meant to make the game even more exciting, give it high stakes, make everything feel more like you were summoning real monsters and casting real spells and traps. Joey couldn’t wait to use it in a duel for the first time.

Of course, one of the first things Joey had ask was if riding the monsters was possible. Kaiba had answered yes. He didn’t ask how the brunet discovered this. Somehow through their mutual love of dragons he just knew.

Once they’d finished dessert (and Kaiba had paid the bill, the sneaky bastard,) they left the restaurant and Kaiba drove Joey back to his car, just as he had promised. There was an awkward goodbye of sorts as Joey got out of the car. It was still hard to figure out how to talk to Kaiba. Being himself was easy and not easy at the same time. They had no more animosity between them, but they weren’t quite friends. It was a strange place to be.

“Wheeler,” Kaiba called just before Joey walked away from the car. Joey turned around with a raised brow. The CEO looked...tense all of sudden. Joey could almost see the gears in his head turning. Then, Kaiba sighed. “Don’t be late to the tournament. Got it?”

Before Joey could answer, most likely with something snarky, Kaiba was back in his car and peeling out of his park space. Joey watched him go, grousing under his breath about annoying, rich asshats as he made his way to his own car. His mood lightened immediately as he thought of seeing his sister tomorrow. He picked up his pace and practically ran to his car.

For once in his life, things seemed to be looking up.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is literally being written on the fly, though I do have some sort of plan in mind. So uh...enjoy I guess?


End file.
